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I'll give you the counterpoint. I'm very happy to spend money on apps and services that I like. However, I'm only going to do it through Apple's platform, for

I'll give you the counterpoint. I'm very happy to spend money on apps and services that I like. However, I'm only going to do it through Apple's platform, for a variety of reasons. If you don't want to build on Apple's platform, that's completely fine. I won't be a customer. And maybe that will change the system, I really don't know.

smoldesu 5y ago
The issue is that this customer you're describing doesn't exist. It does provide a marginally higher amount of friction to use a non-native payment method, but there aren't any users out there cancelling their Netflix subscription because now Netflix gets 100% of the proceeds instead of 70%. At that point, you're inadvertently sabotaging the very company that you're trying to support, because your hardware manufacturer decided that they need to tax your software, too.
- slver 5y ago
  How can you honestly tell a person who just shared their opinion "you don't exist"? I also would never enter my credit card in an app, UNLESS it's a huge, well-trusted brand (which this influencer app isn't). Many people wouldn't bother. The whole point of Apple handling this is that you trust Apple to have more clue than your average startup full of monkeys.
  - Jcowell 5y ago
    This is a big thing for me. I really do not want to give any vendor raw Payment information if I can help. Would much rather do so though a service like Apple Pay/Google Pay. And then only have to worry about that one vendor when they get a data breach then a dozen vendors and deal with a dozen data breaches.
    - smoldesu 5y ago
      There are plenty of services that offer payment fuzzing options, putting your faith in one of the largest digital targets does effectively nothing to save your digital privacy.
      - Jcowell 5y ago
        It offers the best crosscut between connivence (subscriptions) and privacy assurance (for the time being)
- CubsFan1060 5y ago
  Yeah, I exist. Let’s be clear, I don’t do any of this based on how much Apple gets. I have had a lot of bad experiences with developers abusing my information (too many emails, unsubscribe doesn’t work, selling email address) that it’s simply a game I’m not going to play anymore. This isn’t something I worry about with someone like Netflix. But the hundreds of dollars I’ve spent with small developers won’t happen otherwise. On top of it, ever try to cancel a subscription? Wall Street Journal is one that I’ve had twice in the last 10 years. Once was through their website. When I cancelled, I had to call and got a sales pitch… through 3 reps. The next was through Apple. Cancelling was one click. I get why developers and people like these. As a customer I hate them. And I’m just not going to do it anymore.
mdoms 5y ago
I'm not saying Apple isn't adding end-user value. I can easily imagine a payment screen in an app that looks like, * Pay with Apple Pay ($13.00) * Pay with Stripe ($10.50) If their value-add is as strong as you say then surely they'd still make plenty of money. If not, well maybe they need to start adding more value or dropping their prices, just like anyone in a competitive market.
- deadmutex 5y ago
  Does Apple's TOS allow this? IIRC, Credit card companies used to disallow different pricing for cash and CC.
  - querulous 5y ago
    no. you can't even mention other payment methods
    - valparaiso 5y ago
      Like you can’t mention on package of your product in Walmart that your product is cheaper on your website. No business allows this.
      - deadmutex 5y ago
        > No business allows this IIRC, Progressive Insurance? had car insurance ads where they said that they'd show insurance rates for similar coverage from the competitors next to their quote.
      - mdoms 5y ago
        I don't know about USA but over here it's very common for manufacturers to print their MSRP on their packaging. Retailers are free to charge whatever price they want, the MSRP is simply the recommended price. It's not unusual for retailers to charge more.
  - mdoms 5y ago
    They also do not allow you to mention or even imply the existence of their fee. Nor do they allow you to so much as link to an external website that provides other payment options, nor mention the existence of such a website.

smoldesu 5y ago

The issue is that this customer you're describing doesn't exist. It does provide a marginally higher amount of friction to use a non-native payment method, but there aren't any users out there cancelling their Netflix subscription because now Netflix gets 100% of the proceeds instead of 70%. At that point, you're inadvertently sabotaging the very company that you're trying to support, because your hardware manufacturer decided that they need to tax your software, too.

slver 5y ago
How can you honestly tell a person who just shared their opinion "you don't exist"? I also would never enter my credit card in an app, UNLESS it's a huge, well-trusted brand (which this influencer app isn't). Many people wouldn't bother. The whole point of Apple handling this is that you trust Apple to have more clue than your average startup full of monkeys.
- Jcowell 5y ago
  This is a big thing for me. I really do not want to give any vendor raw Payment information if I can help. Would much rather do so though a service like Apple Pay/Google Pay. And then only have to worry about that one vendor when they get a data breach then a dozen vendors and deal with a dozen data breaches.
  - smoldesu 5y ago
    There are plenty of services that offer payment fuzzing options, putting your faith in one of the largest digital targets does effectively nothing to save your digital privacy.
    - Jcowell 5y ago
      It offers the best crosscut between connivence (subscriptions) and privacy assurance (for the time being)
CubsFan1060 5y ago
Yeah, I exist. Let’s be clear, I don’t do any of this based on how much Apple gets. I have had a lot of bad experiences with developers abusing my information (too many emails, unsubscribe doesn’t work, selling email address) that it’s simply a game I’m not going to play anymore. This isn’t something I worry about with someone like Netflix. But the hundreds of dollars I’ve spent with small developers won’t happen otherwise. On top of it, ever try to cancel a subscription? Wall Street Journal is one that I’ve had twice in the last 10 years. Once was through their website. When I cancelled, I had to call and got a sales pitch… through 3 reps. The next was through Apple. Cancelling was one click. I get why developers and people like these. As a customer I hate them. And I’m just not going to do it anymore.

mdoms 5y ago

I'm not saying Apple isn't adding end-user value. I can easily imagine a payment screen in an app that looks like, * Pay with Apple Pay ($13.00) * Pay with Stripe ($10.50) If their value-add is as strong as you say then surely they'd still make plenty of money. If not, well maybe they need to start adding more value or dropping their prices, just like anyone in a competitive market.

deadmutex 5y ago
Does Apple's TOS allow this? IIRC, Credit card companies used to disallow different pricing for cash and CC.
- querulous 5y ago
  no. you can't even mention other payment methods
  - valparaiso 5y ago
    Like you can’t mention on package of your product in Walmart that your product is cheaper on your website. No business allows this.
    - deadmutex 5y ago
      > No business allows this IIRC, Progressive Insurance? had car insurance ads where they said that they'd show insurance rates for similar coverage from the competitors next to their quote.
    - mdoms 5y ago
      I don't know about USA but over here it's very common for manufacturers to print their MSRP on their packaging. Retailers are free to charge whatever price they want, the MSRP is simply the recommended price. It's not unusual for retailers to charge more.
- mdoms 5y ago
  They also do not allow you to mention or even imply the existence of their fee. Nor do they allow you to so much as link to an external website that provides other payment options, nor mention the existence of such a website.